S/2003/377
Letter dated 26 March 2003 from the
Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council
I have the honour to transmit to you herewith the text of a letter dated 24 March 2003 which I received from the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (see annex).
I should be grateful if you would bring it to the attention of the members of the Security Council.
(Signed) Kofi A. Annan
Annex
[Original: English]
Letter dated 24 March 2003 from the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization addressed to the Secretary-General
In accordance with Security Council resolution 1088 (1996), I attach the monthly report on SFOR operations for February 2003. I would appreciate your making this report available to the Security Council.
(Signed) George Robertson
Enclosure
Monthly report to the United Nations on the operations of the Stabilization Force
1. Over the reporting period (1-28 February 2003) there were just over 12,700 troops of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, with contributions from the NATO allies and from 12 non-NATO countries.
2. During the period under review, the overall situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remained stable despite some violent incidents.
3. On 3 February an explosion occurred near the German Embassy in Sarajevo. On 11 February, more than half of the 600 prisoners in the Zenica correctional facility rioted and barricaded themselves inside three buildings as a protest against the living conditions. SFOR monitored the situation but did not become directly involved. The riot ended the following day. On 21 February, a United Nations vehicle was destroyed in an explosion near the United Nations office in Brcko. No one was injured in the incident. On 23 February, a vehicle belonging to the European Union Police Mission was damaged by a bomb. No one was injured in that incident.
Security
4. SFOR continues to contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina; monitor compliance by the entity armed forces; conduct inspections and monitor consolidation of weapons storage sites; provide support to the international organizations working in theatre, and to the Federation authorities in collecting weapons and ammunition in the framework of Operation Harvest; and monitor possible terrorist-related threats throughout the country.
5. The total number of items collected during the month under Operation Harvest included: 452 small arms (rifles, pistols and revolvers); 97,752 rounds of ammunition less than 20 mm; 332 rounds of ammunition between 20 mm and 76 mm; six rounds of ammunition greater than 76 mm; 2,139 hand grenades; 390 mines; 64.2 kilograms of explosives; and 1,694 other items (mortars, mortar rounds, rifle grenades, attack rockets and hand-made ordnance).
Cooperation and compliance by the parties
6. From the middle of January this year, SFOR has been examining the 1,600-page report of the Government of the Republika Srpska on its investigation into the Orao affair. The Commander of SFOR has concluded that the Republika Srpska failed to make the necessary full disclosure, and failed to identify and hold accountable those individuals in the Republika Srpska Government and administration who were complicit in the affair. The Commander of SFOR has called on the President of the Republika Srpska to provide additional information by 17 March on the failure of his Government to detect breaches of United Nations sanctions.
7. During the period under review, SFOR monitored 289 training and movement activities: 123 VRS (Republika Srpska Army) and 166 VF (Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina). SFOR monitored 87 mine-clearing activities: 81 VRS and 6 VF. SFOR also carried out 74 inspections and verification of weapons storage sties: 32 VRS and 42 VF.
Cooperation with international organizations
8. Within capabilities and in accordance with its mandate, SFOR continues to provide assistance to the international organizations in theatre. On 4 and 5 February officers from SFOR headquarters Joint Military Affairs Branch participated, along with representatives from the Secretariat of the Standing Committee for Military Matters, the entity armed forces and the relevant entity civil agencies, in a disaster preparedness training and exercise programme led by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and held in Doboj. Apart from being an exercise in cooperation between the entities and the State, this event contributed information to help with the drafting of a common military doctrine on disaster relief operations for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Outlook
9. The security situation is expected to remain stable.